Gary Farmer

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Gary Farmer
Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers 2012 (zqprkUSOOU0).jpg
Farmer performing with Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers in 2012
Born
Gary Dale Farmer

(1953-06-12) June 12, 1953 (age 71)
Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active1976–present

Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian First Nations (Cayuga) actor and musician. [1] He is perhaps best known for his role as Nobody in the films Dead Man (1995) and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), and for his role in Smoke Signals (1998). In his career spanning over three decades, Farmer received three Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male nominations.

Contents

He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the development of First Nations media in Canada and is the founding director of an urban Indian radio network, Aboriginal Voices Radio Network.

Early life and education

Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga Nation and Wolf Clan [2] of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy. [3] [4] [5] He grew up in the American city of Buffalo where his father worked as a crane operator. [6] Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production. [5]

Career

Acting

Farmer's first acting role was in the 1976 play On The Rim of a Curse, about the Beothuk. [6] His first major television role was on the CBC's Spirit Bay . He subsequently played police captain Joe Stonetree on the syndicated TV series Forever Knight , and Chief Tom in the CBC first nations TV series The Rez . Farmer is best known for his role as spiritual Native American guide Nobody in Dead Man . Farmer reprised the role for a cameo in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai , also directed by Jim Jarmusch. [7]

Farmer has performed in both the film and television adaptations of Tony Hillerman's novels. He played "Cowboy" Albert Dashee (Hopi) in the 1991 film The Dark Wind , and Captain Largo (Navajo) in the television adaptations of Coyote Waits (2003) and A Thief of Time (2004).[ citation needed ]

He played a supporting character Burt in the 2001 crime thriller The Score starring Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Ed Norton, Angela Bassett and Paul Soles. Farmer also appeared in two episodes of the popular children's television show Big Comfy Couch as Wobbly.[ citation needed ]

Farmer played the role of Fagin in Twist , the 2003 independent adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic novel Oliver Twist , and the role of "Iktome" in the 2003 all Native American cast TV film Dreamkeeper , directed by Steve Barron. He also played Deputy Bob in Demon Knight . Other major roles included Henry Colville, with Kris Kristofferson, in Disappearances (2006) and Jack in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) by Arnaud Desplechin.[ citation needed ]

He recorded the audiobook version of Louise Erdrich's 2012 novel The Round House , winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction.

Farmer appeared in season 1 of the Sundance TV series The Red Road in 2014.[ citation needed ]

In 2020, Farmer had brief appearances in the films First Cow and The Dark Divide . [8]

Farmer appeared as the recurring character Uncle Brownie in the highly-acclaimed FX series Reservation Dogs from 2021-2023, and as Dan Twelvetrees in the Syfy series Resident Alien .

He was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for his roles in the movies Powwow Highway , Dead Man , and Smoke Signals

Music

He also has a blues band called Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers. The band has released two CDs, Love Songs and Other Issues in 2007 and Lovesick Blues in 2009.

Other

Farmer is also a regular supporter of University of Nebraska Omaha Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow, held a week before the Gathering of Nations Powwow. He makes appearances selling his CD's and occasionally giving speeches. University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) considers Farmer a "very good friend".[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 Police Academy Sidewalk Store Owner
1984 Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Tooby
1987 The Believers Mover
1987 The Big Town Duke
1988 Blue City Slammers Doug
1988 Powwow Highway Philbert Bono
1989 Renegades George
1990Still Life: The Fine Art of MurderBilly
1991 The Dark Wind Cowboy Albert Dashee
1992 Forever Knight Captain Joe Stonetree
1993 Ed and His Dead Mother Big Lar
1994 Sioux City Russell White
1995 Demon Knight Deputy Bob Martel
1995 Dead Man Nobody
1996 Henry & Verlin Henry
1996 Lilies Timothée
1998 Smoke Signals Arnold Joseph
1998Stolen HeartWhitaker
1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Nobody
1999TouchedGeorge
1999HeaterBen
2001 Delivering Milo Max
2001 The Score Burt
2001 Route 666 Shaman
2002 Skins Verdell Weasel Tail
2002Angels Don't Sleep HereLou Washington
2002 Adaptation Buster Baxley
2003 The Big Empty Indian Bob
2003 Twist Fagin
2003 The Republic of Love Ted
2004EvergreenJim
2004 Sawtooth Seven Thumbs
2005 3 Needles Winker at Support Group
2006 Disappearances Herny Coville
2006One Night with YouMomo
2007 All Hat Billy Caan
2007 Intervention Bob
2008 Swing Vote Curly
2009RejectionAlbert
2009 The Timekeeper Cook
2010 Good Neighbours Roland Brandt
2010Ink: A Tale of CaptivityAlderman
2010A Windigo TaleHarold
2011 A Bird of the Air Charles Ballard
2011California IndianRich Knight
2011 Foreverland Moe
2012Path of SoulsEddie Benton Benai
2013 Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian Jack
2013 Winter in the Blood Lame Bull
2015 Peter and John Smoke
2019The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi BearclawOliver Yellowdog
2019 First Cow Totillicum
2019 Blood Quantum Moon
2019 Santa Fake Santa Claus
2020 Cowboys Robert Spottedbird
2020 The Dark Divide Densmore
2021Blood Brothers: Civil WarSmoke
2021 Run Woman Run Self
2022 Quantum Cowboys Calvin
2023 Hey, Viktor! Gary

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 American Playhouse ToobyEpisode: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"
1985The UndergradsCastroTelevision film
1986 Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Masters' BodyguardEpisode: "Spanish Blood"
1986Doing LifeFirst PrisonerTelevision film
1986 Unnatural Causes —
1986Christmas EveJody
1988 Miami Vice WilsonEpisode: "Bad Timing"
1988 9B Harry DerekEpisode: "Dropout"
1989 Friday the 13th: The Series RickEpisode: "Wedding Bell Blues"
1990Sparks: The Price of PassionPeteTelevision film
1990 China Beach DreamwalkerEpisode: "Strange Brew"
1991 Plymouth ToddTelevision film
1992 E.N.G. Detective Brant2 episodes
1992–1994 Forever Knight Capt. Joe Stonetree /

Detective Norton

23 episodes
1993 Street Legal Allan MichaelsEpisode: "Conduct Unbecoming"
1993 Blown Away AndersonTelevision film
1993 The Big Comfy Couch Wobbly2 episodes
1994 The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon Tiny / Big GiantEpisode: "Dudley Meets a Tiny Giant"
1996 Moonshine Highway Hooch WilsonTelevision film
1997 Promised Land Conrad ShortyEpisode: "The Outrage"
1997 Ghostwriter Jake RizzoEpisode: "Past Tense"
1998 The Pretender Vincent LaPahieEpisode: "Hope & Prey"
1999JusticeLou BelcourtTelevision film
2000 The Virginian Buster
2001 The West Wing Jack Lone FeatherEpisode: "The Indians in the Lobby"
2001 Dice Ernie Ross6 episodes
2002 The Job Injun JoeEpisode: "Soup"
2002 Screech Owls ThomasEpisode: "Sacred Ground"
2002 Skinwalkers Captain Largo2 episodes
2003 Lord Have Mercy! Marty C. Martyn
2003 Odd Job Jack George TwotreesEpisode: "Go West Young Ryder"
2003 Dreamkeeper IktomeTelevision film
2003 Mutant X Dr. MarcusEpisode: "The Taking of Crows"
2003 A Thief of Time Captain LargoTelevision film
2003 Coyote Waits
2004 The Chris Isaak Show LarryEpisode: "The Family of Man"
2006 One Dead Indian Judas GeorgeTelevision film
2006 Doomstown Detective Jeff Norstrom
2006Indian Summer: The Oka CrisisAlan Montour
2007 Moose TV Gerry Keeshig8 episodes
2007 Elijah RayTelevision film
2008 The Border Reserve Police ChiefEpisode: "Gray Zone"
2008–2009 Easy Money Shep7 episodes
2012 Blackstone Ray Delaronde8 episodes
2013, 2017 Longmire Aaron Two Rivers2 episodes
2014–2015 The Red Road Mac6 episodes
2015–2016 Zoo Anik2 episodes
2017 Guilt Free Zone Milo4 episodes
2019BlackwaterCharles GoodmanEpisode: "Pilot"
2021–2024 Resident Alien Dan Twelvetrees26 episodes
2021 Rutherford Falls Earl2 episodes
2021–2022 Reservation Dogs Uncle Brownie7 Episodes
2022 Our Flag Means Death Chief MaboEpisode: "A Damned Man"
2022 The English John Clarke2 Episodes
2023 The Curse James ToledoEpisode: "Pressure's Looking Good So Far"

References

  1. ↑ "Gary Dale Farmer". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ "The Scene" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine , HeraldTimesScene.com; accessed December 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Gary Farmer is a member of the Cayuga nation within the Haudenosaunee" Archived 2006-12-17 at the Wayback Machine , bcc.ctc.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Gary Farmer profile Archived 2013-09-11 at the Wayback Machine , NativeNetworks.si.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Gary Farmer Biography, yahoo.com; accessed December 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Zekas, Rita (July 1990). "Gary Farmer is bringing it to the stage and screen". Secwepemc News. p. 7.
  7. ↑ Suarez, Juan (2007). Jim Jarmusch. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 128. ISBN   9780252096075.
  8. ↑ "Cast". The Dark Divide. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
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